How Can Teachers Teach The Myth Of Sisyphus To Students?

I have so many ideas for teaching the myth of Sisyphus. We could read the actual myth, and learn about all of the Sisyphi throughout history and myth. We could also use the myth of Sisyphus as an entrance into the existential philosophy of absurdism, found in the work of Albert Camus. We could even use Sisyphus as a prompt for various creative projects, or we could use his story to explore feelings of empathy. It could be a really personal and in-depth story to explore in the classroom. This lesson plan will follow a somewhat loose structure, but for the most part we will be exploring the story of Sisyphus in as organic and conversational of a way as possible. To start, students will recreate the story of Sisyphus orally, in pairs, without writing any notes down. This will help expose some of their preconceptions of the myth, as well as bring out some of the mythic energy and elements that make the story so compelling and so beautiful. After that, I will provide them with a short but powerful chunk of text, such as a translation of the Greek myth or the beginning of the French philosopher Albert Camus’ essay The Myth of Sisyphus. They will mark up the text with phrases that surprise them.

For this end of lesson assessment activity I have outlined three different options which students can choose to partake in, I know that we have learners of different styles in each class and therefore it would be wasteful to have them all complete the same task. The first option is for students to work in small groups to create a theatrical representation of Sisyphus at different stages of his life. Students will write and perform scenes of Sisyphus as a young man, middle-aged man and old man. The second option is for students to work in small groups to create a map of the philosopher’s argument regarding the concept of the ‘absurd’ and how it relates to the story of Sisyphus. Students will use arrows to link words and phrases that relate to one another such as ‘revolt’, ‘freedom’ and ‘recognition’. The final option for this assessment activity is for students to work individually or in small groups to create a visual representation of Sisyphus in modern times. This could be a painting, drawing, comic strip or even a meme. Sisyphus could be depicted as a commuter on his way to work, a gamer playing video games, or even a programmer trying to fix a bug on his computer.

Assessment and follow-up can be as varied and as meaningful as you wish. Writing a journal entry, short essay comparing the myth with Camus’ reading of the myth, or even creating a creative work such as a letter from Sisyphus to a friend, a poem, or short film storyboard would all be sufficient. The student could also look for examples of Sisyphean tasks in popular culture such as Groundhog Day, a particular character in a manga, or a job that the student’s family member does repeatedly and explain how they relate to the myth. At the end of the lesson I like to ask the students whether they think Sisyphus is a tragic figure, a hero, or something else, and have them explain their choice. This lesson really doesn’t need to end with any concrete answers, just more questions and the knowledge that the students have encountered both an ancient myth and a very personal myth. Leaving that classroom on a rainy morning is always a pleasant experience and I often find myself feeling a little wistful as I move to my next lesson.

Occasionally I will shift to a more contemplative study of the myth of Sisyphus. We form a circle of chairs and dim the lights. There are books leaning against the walls, including a well-worn copy of The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. Students of all ages arrive for tea and for thoughtful discussion. We first study the mythology of Sisyphus in order to gain insight into the myths that were used in order to caution or inspire individuals to ponder the ethics of their actions and the nature of their existence. After that, we read the section of The Myth of Sisyphus in which Camus reinterprets the myth. Sisyphus is pushed to exert himself to roll the rock up to the top of a mountain only to have it roll back down. He represents the absurdly driven individual in search of meaningful purpose in a seemingly indifferent universe.

After that first foray into the literary terrain of the myth of Sisyphus, we move into thematic stations. We look at how we can use the myth of Sisyphus to understand existential concepts by looking at examples of people who engage in repetitive tasks and have jobs with low rewards and high pressure. We look at the historical representation of the figure of Sisyphus in various cultures through different artistic media, poetry, film and visual art. We can also use the myth of Sisyphus to think about pedagogy and civic engagement and to explore ways in which the myth can be used to discuss issues of resilience without glorifying burnout. This could involve students writing short position pieces or public facing posts to communicate their take on the issue to a younger audience or to the broader local community. Ideas could be developed into a podcast episode, a zine or an illustrated thread of tweets, all of which would help students to translate complex abstract philosophical ideas into language and formats that are more suited to everyday life.

Much of this work gets evaluated on a reflection dikke to application basis. So I look for students to demonstrate clear thought, creativity and empathy in whatever form they choose to express themselves. Does the student’s work reveal an understanding of the myth and its connection to real life situations? Can one see that the student has also taken into consideration several points of view? Does their piece of work evoke a response or an invitation to others to enter into the work and explore it for themselves? Occasionally I wrap up our time together with a small ritual: I ask each student to write down one thing they will ‘keep pushing’ this week. These notes get collected up anonymously and sometime later in the week we read a few of them out loud in class. It’s a small but powerful move of solidarity that leaves us all in silence and hope for a little while after.